Birks Chronograph for RCAF

Chronographs made for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) are some of my favorite military watches and chronographs generally because of the purity of their design. They really are a design masterpiece. Made by a variety of manufacturers (including OMEGA and Breitling) to the specifications of the Royal Canadian Air Force, this is a relatively rarer model made by Birks, the famous luxury retailer sometimes called the “Tiffany & Co.” of Canada. Given the military service of these watches, they are often in very worn condition with significant patina on the dial, but this one is in outstanding condition and features its original radium luminous material or “lume” on the dial and in the hour and minute hands. The case back has had the military engravings removed as seen on all existing examples of Birks RCAF chronographs, which I presume was because the watches were resold by Birks after seeing military service. SOLD

P.S. This watch was featured in the HODINKEE Bring a Loupe column by Isaac Wingold on August 9: https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/bring-a-loupe-august-8

SOLD